Throughout my life, I have been fascinated with products, how they work, and what drives people to engage with them. Inspired by tales of my late grandfather, and the quote, "See a need, fill a need" from the movie, "Robots", I went into mechanical engineering to follow in his footsteps and create impactful products just as he had in 1970s India. As an engineer, I functioned as a bridge between clients and internal teams' needs. However, I quickly learned that while I had a hand in the logistical and structural aspects of projects, there was little consideration for the end user, which I found antithetical to why I wanted to create new products in the first place.

This disconnect led me to Northwestern University's Engineering Design Innovation program, where I trained in the design thinking process and bolstered my passion for understanding and advocating for every stakeholder involved within a design solution. Now, as a researcher, designer, and engineer, I am able to operate across every stage of a project to ensure its success for both the business and the end-user.